Notes :
strike ～を襲う;
prediction 予言;
devastation 荒らすこと，荒廃（状態）;
day off 休日;
city［the city 集合的に］その市の（全）市民，住民;

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In 1923 Raffaele Bendandi predicted that on January 2, 1924, a major earthquake would strike Italy. He was wrong – by two days. It struck on January 4, killing 30,000 people.
Bendandi died in 1979 leaving many other predictions. One such prediction was for the 11th of May 2011, in Italy, in which he predicted total devastation. Because of this many Italians took a day off. On that day, however, no earthquake occurred and the city slept peacefully. In Spain on the same day however an earthquake hit a small town killing 9 people – it was the worst earthquake in forty years. (by Prof. Simon Smith)
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Note：
adventurous　冒険好き;
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Richard Branson is a name that many people may have heard of. He one of the UK’s wealthiest men, ranked 9th on the Sunday Times Rich List. According to Forbes magazine he is ranked 212th in the world. Not quite Bill Gates but rich, very rich. He owns businesses including Virgin Records, Virgin Atlantic Airways and Virgin Trains as well as several Caribbean islands. But what is interesting is that he is extremely adventurous, crossing the Atlantic Ocean in air-balloons and sailing boats for charity. His latest charity event includes dressing up in a red stewardess uniform in one of his Virgin Atlantic flights. If you want to meet him then, there will be an on-line auction where seats will be sold to the highest bidder. (by Prof. Simon Smith)
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